Guys, I used the recommended er9x firmware after installing the board and it downloaded just as on erazz eepe quickstart video. But screen doesn't light up, and I'm also getting "throttle not set" and "alarms disabled" alerts. I double checked the connections on the el panel and all is fine. Any thoughts as to what I did or didn't do? Thanks

Guys, I used the recommended er9x firmware after installing the board and it downloaded just as on erazz eepe quickstart video. But screen doesn't light up, and I'm also getting "throttle not set" and "alarms disabled" alerts. I double checked the connections on the el panel and all is fine. Any thoughts as to what I did or didn't do? Thanks

Sounds like you probably have not calibrated your sticks yet. Find "Calibration" on this page:http://code.google.com/p/er9x
And then you will need to set up a switch to control the backlight. See the manual, also found on the above page.

Great information. Many thanks for the reply and all understood. It is not as easy as i thought it may be.
The plan is to move onto the er9x firmware.
I purchased this new 9x/programmer board combo as a platform with view to flexibility, an upgrade path supported by interested users and low cost hardware. The Erazz er9x software design philosophy looks great with complete flexibility to assign any combination of switch, pot etc. I have the FrSky RF telemetry module. So also hoping that the telemetry serial link can get status information integrated onto the 9x LCD. I'm flying planes and gliders and have started to get into FPV.

Another feature that appeals to me is using a PC to setup models and to test programming and then save as downloadable files.

I am still in throes of working thru the original 9x firmware and have set up and have flying a number of models. I just thought why cant the EL backlight be turned on. With inside lighting the unlit LCD is a bit hard to easily read. Add a switch and a couple of wires that sort of thing.

I will be moving onto the er9x sooner than later I think. Thanks again for your prompt support.
Lindsay

Believe me, If I can install the light and board and flash it, anyone can. In my opinion, ER9x is worth it just for the proportional throttle timer alone.... genius! It's almost unlimited in what can be done with complicated models. Have you read the manual yet?

Sounds like you probably have not calibrated your sticks yet. Find "Calibration" on this page:http://code.google.com/p/er9x
And then you will need to set up a switch to control the backlight. See the manual, also found on the above page.

Hello Lindsay. I just shipped out a bunch with the mod pre-done, but I think yours was from before that. If you only see ONE black wire on the back, then yes... you should do one of the two fixes described throughout this thread. I'll repost the two options here. Which you choose is a matter of preference as they both work. The resistor mod (first picture) is conceptually easier for many people but involves getting the resistor. The second mod involves no other parts but I think some people might find it a higher degree of difficulty (I'd still say well within most people's reach though).

Option 1:

Option 2:

If you think you can do either and you want a recommendation... I lean toward the second fix and the preferred one.

Well, I sold out over the holidays more quickly than I expected so I didn't have more on order. They are on order now. The raw boards are expected to ship (from China) on the 20th so they'll probably be here around the 25th. Most of the parts are coming from the US so that should only be a couple days. One part is coming from Hong Kong though... ordered it on Jan 3rd and it still hasn't even left.

So... I really don't have a good answer for you. My best guess I'm saying is the end of January or beginning of February, but delays are the norm, not the exception, in electronics projects.

I suggest ordering one as the backorder list is starting to build. That way when they do arrive you'll be among the first to get them.

I finally received my 9X and installed Steve's board. I had already modified the board with the recommended trace cut and jumper. The backlight worked fine and no reset problems, however, I couldn't download the flash memory from the transmitter. I thought it might be a misalignment of the pogo pins so I removed and re-installed the board a number of times with slight changes of the positioning. That didn't work so I tried installing the board in my other transmitter (I bought two, one for a buddy system). That worked so I programmed that transmitter with erazz' great eePe program and firmware. Then I put the board back in the first transmitter. It worked this time so I programmed it. Then the problems started again. Couldn't read or write to the transmitter. Took the board out, repositioned it, back in and no luck. Finally tried putting it in the other transmitter again and now same problems with that one. Now I took out the programmer board and had a close look at all the connections with a magnifying glass looking for a bad solder joint. I couldn't find one but the connections on the right side of IC1 all looked too good (no slightly irregular solder joints). Closer examination showed that they weren't soldered at all. I touched them up with my soldering iron and the board now works great. Installing and removing the board must have put enough pressure on IC1 to get an occasional good connection on those loose joints.

Despite the problems above I am happy with the board (now) and am waiting for revision 3 to put into the other transmitter.

Oops! 100% my bad. Its not the first time I managed to forget to solder a side of that chip... but I test each and every one to make sure the PC recognizes it and that step has always caught any soldering mistakes like that. That must have been frustrating for you... at least, I can imagine.

Well, I took the plunge and cut the trace, soldered the wire and stuck it in my turnigy 9x. It worked great, until today... tried to upload the frsky mod and it worked, then uploaded my previous flash, it didnt seem to do anything... so I was going to try going back to original eeprom and flash settings, but now eepe wont connect. manually running avrdude outputs the following: so it is responding... just not for eepe...
anyone have any suggestions?